October 31, 2002 - Fox Population Under Attack Of Western Coyotes If you haven't observed the usual Red Fox trotting through the shallow valley that usually pays you visits, you're not alone. According to Hppc's expert game biologist Dajl, hungry western coyotes are the cause for the decline in the red predators population. "The Red Fox must continuously live in fear," he said. "A fox just can't compete with a coyote when it come to territories. He would most likely become an evening meal instead of halting a coyotes encroachment on his territory. Instead, he will just move down the road, until he is once driven out of his territory. At some point, the fox will run out of room and fall as prey to a coyote. Therefore, as the coyotes territory is expanding constantly, territorial instincts are stimulated to a much higher degree, and the Red Fox is taking the heat. I would look for the majority of the fox population to shift toward the more suburban areas, where the coyote is still just beginning to adapt. Otherwise, we could see them appearing on the threatened species list within the next three years," he said. Operations advisor Modl said that in the best interest of the fox population, hunters should hit the field with the goal of eliminating coyotes from known fox habitat areas.